In a monitoring and control system in which a monitoring apparatus monitors and controls a plurality of apparatuses via a tag server and a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), a face plate screen for operation of each of the apparatuses is displayed on the monitoring apparatus (SCADA: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System). A control program of the apparatus for returning an operation state of the apparatus to the face plate screen and sending an operation instruction from the face plate screen to the apparatus is executed in the PLC. Further, a control program for combining several apparatuses to realize a desired system operation (interlock, group start and stop, automatic operation, etc.) is executed in the PLC. On the monitoring apparatus (the SCADA), a monitoring screen (an overview screen), on which screen components (symbols) representing apparatuses are arranged on a general view that simulates a process of a plant, is present. A face plate screen of an apparatus corresponding to a symbol on the overview screen can be popup-displayed from the symbol. A tag server (a communication function) that performs communication for reading and writing data between the monitoring screen and the control program is prepared. The tag server is a server that performs communication with a physical device such as a PLC and exchanges a data value with any arbitrary application via a tag.
When the monitoring and control system is constructed, creation of an apparatus control program (a PLC program), setting of a communication function (a tag server, etc.), setting of an alarm, a trend, and the like, and drawing of a face plate screen (a monitoring screen) are necessary for each of the apparatuses.
Patent Literature 1 describes a configurable control system that enables setting of a chemical substance processing system. The configurable control system displays a main selection screen. When “room” is selected from an object menu and “add” is selected from an action entry, the configurable control system displays a “room addition screen”. When a desired room name is input and “end” is selected, the configurable control system closes the room addition screen. The configurable control system displays the main selection screen again. When a desired chemical substance system is selected from the object menu and “add” is selected from the action entry, the configurable control system displays a screen for addition of a chemical substance system. When a desired chemical substance name and a desired chemical substance room are input and “end” is selected, the configurable control system closes the screen for addition of a chemical substance system. The configurable control system displays the main selection screen again. When a field IO panel is selected from the object menu and “add” is selected from the action entry, the configurable control system displays a screen for addition of a field IO panel. When an FIOP name is input, “LAN” is selected, “node” is selected, and “end” is selected, then the configurable control system closes the screen for addition of a field IO panel. Consequently, according to Patent Literature 1, because initial setting of a process is performed according to a menu on a screen image, it is possible to perform the initial setting of the process without correcting a software program.
Patent Literature 2 mentions that, in a data server of a network system in which a network between the data server and a PLC is duplicated by a first control network and a second control network, when tag information for associating a logical tag name and an identification ID of a real device (an IO memory of the PLC) is input to a tag-information input unit, tag information of a predetermined format is generated from the input tag information by a tag-information setting unit and registered in a tag-information storing unit. The data server determines connection abnormality of the network on the basis of a data readout request designated by a logical tag name from a data client and, when there is abnormality, switches the network from the present network to a backup network. The data server acquires a physical address of the IO memory of the PLC corresponding to the logical tag name, accesses the physical address of the IO memory of the PLC, and reads out data. The data server returns a completion notification of the readout and the read-out data to the data client. Consequently, according to Patent Literature 2, switching during network abnormality is performed on the data server side and the data client only has to designate the logical tag name. Therefore, development can be easily performed.
Patent Literature 3 mentions that, in a monitoring apparatus that manages a control state of a plant in control function units called tags, a search for a tag name is performed with respect to created graphic screen data to generate tag list information and a graphic screen related to a tag set to an alarm when abnormality occurred in a process value (a tag) of the plant is displayed. Consequently, according to Patent Literature 3, concerning registration of a number of a graphic screen related to a tag, a manual input is made unnecessary and a registration mistake does not occur.
Patent Literature 4 describes a system for configuring a process plant. Patent Literature 4 mentions that, in the system, when a process block is dragged and dropped, an interactive process graphics editor adds a process module corresponding to the process block to the process plant. Consequently, according to Patent Literature 4, it is possible to easily configure the process plant.
Patent Literature 5 describes a display editor for configuring a process plant. The display editor is executed by a user and generates a graphic element serving as an element of the process plant. In this case, visualization of the graphic element is dragged and dropped to a main editing section of the display editor to be arranged in the main editing section of the display editor. The generated graphic element is bound with specific hardware. Consequently, according to Patent Literature 5, the graphic element is connected to the process plant logically and by communication.